May 17 – The international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia

May 17 – The international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia
Photo by European Central Bank on Flickr

17-05-2022

Manon Picard

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

Today, on the 17th of May 2022, we celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This is a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversity which started in 2004 to: 

“draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics”. 

The date May 17th was chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s “decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder”. The date is celebrated in over 130 countries with different events and initiatives which are reported online. This year’s theme is “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights”.

The International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia has received official recognition by some States and European and international organisations. For example, some members of the Council of Europe have made a common statement regarding how “European states should pay attention to the specific challenges faced by LGBTI asylum seekers fleeing war” ahead of the International Day. The statement was made by the following persons - Council of Europe Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the current President of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, and the incoming President of the Committee of Ministers, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, Simon Coveney. The statement made direct reference to the challenges LGBTQI+ persons face in Ukraine and those seeking asylum who might have lost their identification documents matching their gender identity which are at a “risk of facing homophobia and transphobia from staff at internal and international checkpoints […and…] the risk of harassment in mass accommodation centres”. On a more general note, the following declaration was made: 

“In Europe, we are still a long way from the full inclusion of LGBTI persons, who continue to face discrimination, stigmatisation and even violence. Armed conflicts aggravate the vulnerability of LGBTI persons and expose them to additional risks and abuses […] We must show our concern for all those fleeing the horrors of war. In line with the Council of Europe’sRecommendation on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, we encourage European states to demonstrate solidarity towards all people seeking refuge on their territory, including LGBTI persons, to protect them and to cater for their specific needs”.

Sources and further reading:

Council of Europe. (2022, May 16). IDAHOT: LGBTI Persons Fleeing War Face Specific Risks and Need Protection. Newsroom – Council of Europe. Retrieved on May 17, 2022, from https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/idahot-lgbti-persons-fleeing-war-face-specific-risks-and-need-protection

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia And Biphobia. (n.d.). May 17. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from https://may17.org